Feeler mechanism for looms



eb. 11,1936. so, DODGE j 2,030,688

' FEEDER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed July 6, 1935 I [Tl/12677110?) gher'wood, 0 27 Patented Feb. 11, 1936 FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Sherwood 0. Dodge, Medford, Mass, assignor to Guaranteed Parts, Inc., Allston,v Mass, a, corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationJuly 6, 1935, Serial"No..30,075

7 Claims.

This invention relates to feeler mechanisms for loomsand particularlyto an. anti-friction device for such feeler mechanism as are applied to automatic, looms for causing an automatic replenishing mechanism to function when the filling on the bobbin in theshuttle is substantially exhausted.

A certain well-known type of feeler mechanism in common use is provided with a floating side slipping feeler member mounted for bodily movement toward and from the front of the loom and also in a direction longitudinally of a shuttle and the bobbin therein on a support between complemental' base and cover portions thereof. The feeler member projects from within its support outwardly through an opening provided therefor between the base and cover and has intermittent sliding contact with both of these members, thereby causing surfaces thereof to Wear away at the top, bottom and side of the opening where the feeler is normally located. Considerable wear also takes place upon the feeler member and finally excessive wear upon all of the parts mentioned makes it necessary to replace the injured parts.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an anti-friction device which may be attached to feeler mechanisms of the before-mentioned type for the purpose of eliminating the friction and consequent wear upon the feeler member and also upon the base and cover between which said feeler member slides.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anti-friction device of the character mentioned which may also be utilized as a means for guiding the feeler member and centering the same vertically with respect to the bobbin in the shuttle, thereby preventing injury to the filling upon said bobbin caused by an improper engagement of. the filling by the feeler member.

Still another object of theinvention is to provide, a mechanism which may be adjusted to vary the set or normal position of the feeler member with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bobbin inorder that the proper side slipping action of the feeler will be insured as may be deter-- mined by the character of the filling employed, the construction of the feeler itself and the position of the bobbin in the shuttle.

The invention consists in a feeler mechanism for looms as set forth in the following specification andparticularly as pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig: I is a; plan view of a feeler mechanism embodying myinvention, the feeler being illustrated in feeling position in contact with the filling on a bobbin.

Fig. 2 is a planview of aportion of the feeler mechanism. the coverfor the base of'the feeler stand being removed to expose portions of. the device which would otherwise be obscured, and the guide roller being illustrated in section.

Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the deviceas viewed from the right of Fig. l', the bobbin being illustrated in transverse section.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the device as viewed from the right of- Fig. 3, the feeler member being illustrated in transverse section in contact with the guide roll.

Like numerals refer. to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawing.

In the drawing, 5 represents the base and 6 the cover of afeeler stand or support, said cover being secured to the base by means of a screw 1 and the base being secured by means ofa bolt or screw. 8 to a bracket}! which in turn is secured to the frame of a. loom in a well-known manner. Mounted in the feeler stand between the base 5 and cover 6 thereof is a feeler member ID, said member being mounted for movement toward and from the front of the loom and also in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle and the bobbin therein.

The feeler member ID has a laterally extending arm ll embodied therein, the end portion l2 of which is adaptedto engagea stop l3 when the feeler; is in its rearwardor feeling position as illustrated inFig. 2. A spring 14 is connected to the arm II at l5 and to a projection [6 provided at the rear of the base 5, and said spring acts in a rearward direction to move said feeler rearwardly to its feeling position. The feeler member [0 projects from within the feeler stand outwardly. through a slot I'I provided between the base and cover portions thereof, and said slot is of sufficient lateral dimension to permit the necessary side slipping action of said feeler when the filling'upon a bobbin in a shuttle-becomes substantially exhausted andthe outer extremity of said feeler engages the bare surface of said bob.- bin. In Figs. Land 2 of the drawing portions of a bobbin or filling carrier A are illustrated and the outer extremity of the feeler I0 is in engagement with filling B: locatedv thereon. That porthe actuation of an automatic replenishing mechanism of well-known type whereby replenishment of the filling is effected.

All of the mechanism hereinbefore mentioned including the shuttle, which is not illustrated in the drawing, is old and well known in the art and it is common knowledge that the engagement of the feeler member ID with the surface of the base 5 and cover 6 causes excessive wear to the feeler and to the base and cover at one side of the slot l1, making it necessary to replace these members frequently. The novelty of the present invention resides in providing a means whereby the feeler l0 may be guided during its forward and rearward movements in a manner to reduce this wear upon the base, cover and feeler, and is as follows:-

Mounted upon the top of the cover 6 of the feeler stand is a bracket 20, and the screw I, which is provided for the purpose of securing the cover 6 to the base 5 is utilized as a means for bracket 20 by means of a stud 24 and nut 25 is a' roller 26 having a groove 21 formed in the periphery thereof. The groove 21 is positioned in vertical alignment with the slot I! to receive the feeler I0, and said feeler is normally held in frictional contact with the surface of said groove 21 by means of the spring l4. During the operation of the feeler mechanism, as the feeler member l0 thereof is moved forwardly and rearwardly on detecting beats with a working supply of filling B on the bobbin A, the roller 26 constitutes a guide for the feeler and positions the same vertically with respect to the longitudinal median line of the bobbin A, and as the roller is located between the slot I1 and the outer extremity of the feeler ID the wear which usually occurs upon the surface of the base 5 and cover 6 at the slot H by reason of the sliding engagement of the feeler therewith is greatly reduced as is also the wear upon the feeler member itself. The feeler ID in contacting with the surface of the groove 21 causes the roller 26 to rotate freely upon the stud 24 and the wear caused by frictional contact between these members is therefore negligible.

If it becomes necessary to vary the set or normal position of the feeler member ID longitudinally of the axis of the bobbin A the same may be accomplished by loosening the screw 1 which secures the bracket 20 to the cover 6 and moving said bracket upon said cover in a manner to move the roller 26 laterally of the feeler. The slot 2| and clearance between the adjacent surfaces of the cars 22 and cover 6 makes it possible to'obtain any adjustment'of the feeler that may ping feeler mounted thereon, a bracket adjustably mounted uponsaid stand, and a roller mounted upon said bracket and having a groove formed in the periphery thereof in which the feeler is supported and guided as it is moved forwardly and rearwardly on detecting beats.

2. A feeler mechanism for looms comprising, in combination, a feeler stand, a floating side slipping feeler mounted on said stand for movements toward and from the front of the loom and in a direction longitudinally of a bobbin with which it is adapted to contact, a bracket fast to the stand, a roller on said bracket for guidin and supporting said feeler as it is moved forwardly and rearwardly on detecting beats with a Working supply of filling on said bobbin, said bracket being adjustable upon the stand to move said roller laterally of the feeler to vary the set of the latter with respect to the filling upon the bobbin, and a spring acting rearwardly on the feeler to move the latter to feeling position.

3. A feeler mechanism for looms comprising, in combination, a feeler stand, a floating side slipping feeler mounted on said stand for movements toward and from the front of the loom and in a direction longitudinally of a bobbin with which it is adapted to contact, a roller mounted upon said stand and positionedbetween the stand and the outer end of said feeler, said roller having a groove therein adapted to support and guide the feeler as it is moved forwardly and. rearwardly on detecting beats. with a working supply of filling on said'bobbin, and'a spring acting rearwardly on the feeler to move the latter to feeling position and into contact with the groove in the roller.

4. A feeler mechanism for looms comprising, in combination, a feeler stand, a floating side slipping feeler mounted on said stand for movements toward and from the front of the loom and in a direction longitudinally of a bobbin with which it is adapted to contact, a bracket adjustably mounted upon said stand, a roller mounted upon said bracket and positioned between the stand and the outer endof the feeler, said roller having a. groove formed in the periphery thereof in which the feeler is supported and guided as it is moved forwardly and rearwardly on detecting beats with a working supply of filling on said bobbin, and a spring acting rearwardlyon the feeler to move the latter to feeling position and into contact with the roller.

5. An anti-friction guide for the feeler of a feeler mechanism for looms comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to a feeler stand, and a roller mounted upon said bracket and adapted to have rotary guiding contact with said feeler as the latter is moved forwardly and rearwardly on detecting beats.

6. An anti-friction guide for the feeler of a feeler mechanism for looms comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to a feeler stand, and a roller mounted upon said bracket and having a groove formed in the periphery thereof in which said feeler may be supported and guided as it is moved forwardly and rearwardly on detecting beats.

7. An anti-friction guide for the feeler of a feeler mechanism for looms comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to a feeler stand and a roller mounted upon said bracket and having a groove formed in the periphery thereof in which.

said feeler may be supported and guided as it is 7 moved forwardly and rearwardly on detecting beats, said bracket being slidable in a horizontal plane upon said stand to move said roller laterally of the feeler to vary the set of the latter with respect to the filling upon the bobbin.

= SHERWOOD O. DODGE, 

